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News You Can Use: Support Roundtable and Forum Polls

Douglas Clinton — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:20:00 GMT

On Tuesday, December 8, check out our complimentary support roundtable to discuss how you can make the most of your resources on our support website. Read the whole story on the Web Sitings blog.

We also have a couple of polls on the Forums right now about Knowledgebase. How often does Knowledgebase provide you with the answers you need? Let us know! If you can't find the answer to your question in Knowledgebase, do you use Case Central or do you call? Take the poll !

Upcoming Web Seminars 11/23 - 11/25

Douglas Clinton — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:10:00 GMT

Several times a week, we offer free, hour-long web seminars on our website. The seminars usually focus on Blackbaud products or best practices for nonprofits.

To register, select Web Seminars from the Events menu on our website, find a seminar you want to attend, and click Register Now. Once you submit the enrollment form, you’ll receive an email with instructions for viewing the online presentation, as well as the telephone access number. If you’d like to enroll for additional seminars, click Continue after you fill out the enrollment form.

Here are some of the web seminars coming up next week:

November 24:
Online Marketing Best Practices Featuring Today’s Most Successful Higher Education Institutions, 1:00 p.m. ET: Join us to review examples of organizations who have leveraged their websites to attract supporters and maximize fundraising efforts.

Exclusive to our Blackbaud Learn customers on November 24 at 1:00 p.m. ET, join us for Finish 2009 Strong: Finding Last-Minute Donors! to learn about finding last-minute donors, implementing volunteer policies and procedures, handling high-volume gift processing and creating consolidated receipts.

Have a super weekend!

News Roundup: Blackbaud's Recession Recipe and Conference Coverage

Melanie Mathos — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:07:00 GMT

It has been a busy week at Blackbaud. It is, after all, our favorite part of the year - conference time!

In case you've been busy too, here is some of our latest news coverage. The first clip features what Blackbaud has been doing during the economic downturn to make it through even stronger.

The Post & Courier recently interviewed Blackbaud's CEO Marc Chardon for the article "Blackbaud's recession recipe: Preserve jobs, maintain clients, invest for the upturn." The Charleston-based publication will also be featuring Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits keynote speaker, Derreck Kayongo of The Global Soap Project in Sunday's Faith and Values section.

The Charleston Regional Business Journal was out in full force covering our recent Conference for Nonprofits this week and penned the following stories: "Blackbaud CEO gives advice at annual nonprofit conference" and "BBCON keynote tells attendees to reconnect to work."

WCIV-TV ABC News 4's Neville Miller even stopped by to interview attendees for his story "Non-Profits Working Together to Make it During Tough Economic Times:

Couldn't make it to Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits this year? View recorded videos of a variety of key sessions for free at www.blackbaud.com/bbcontv and brief interviews with the speakers at www.youtube.com/blackbaudinc. You can even follow the Conference buzz on Twitter by searching the #bbcon tag.

Blackbaud’s 10th Annual Conference Encourages Nonprofits to Invest, Innovate, Involve and Inspire

Melanie Mathos — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:27:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (November 19, 2009) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) held its 10th annual Conference for Nonprofits this week in Charleston, South Carolina, welcoming 1000 nonprofit professionals from all over the world to learn more about nonprofit technology and techniques to help them succeed in 2010.

“In a downturn, nonprofits that can innovate, invest, involve and inspire their constituents are going to come out stronger than when they went in,” said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer. “Our customers live the value of ‘service to others makes the world a better place.’ We at Blackbaud live that value too, and the Conference provides a great opportunity for all of us to walk away with just a little more inspiration and just a little more energy to face the challenges ahead.”

>> Watch a recording of Marc Chardon’s welcome session at www.blackbaud.com/bbcontv.

Read more.

Faculty Access for the Web Support Roundtable on December 2

Katie Infinger — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:21:00 GMT

On Tuesday, December 2 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET, we are having a Faculty Access for the Web Support Roundtable. Willow Schultz and Nate Hall, our Education Solution Product Support Leads, will discuss all things Faculty Access for the Web. The roundtable is broken into sections with a question-and-answer period in between. The sections cover:

Supervisor setup
Teacher setup
Posting grades, comments, and skills to Grades in The Education Edge
Comment approval

Effective Appeal Letters — Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Lindsey Salmony — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Now that we’ve covered how to write compelling content for your appeal letters, let’s discuss the other details of your campaign. In my research, I have found that many fundraising professionals ask these common questions:

How Often Should I Send Appeal Letters?
The frequency that you should send appeals depends on your organization. It’s important to remember that your donors’ cash flow fluctuates, which means they could have the ability to donate on some occasions but not others. For this reason, experts say that once a year is not enough. Some organizations send appeals monthly; others conduct quarterly mailings. I would suggest using this information as a starting point and aim to send appeals 4 – 12 times a year. Remember two important rules. First, if you don’t mail to your constituents, someone else will. Second, most people won’t donate unless they are asked.

What Kind of Response Should I Expect?
Unfortunately, there is a lack of research that can tell us the average response rate to an appeal letter. Direct mail response rates average at .25 percent to 3 percent, but some say that nonprofits get better results. Anecdotal evidence indicates that nonprofits can expect response rates anywhere from .25 percent to 7 percent. Some people say that if you are mailing to contacts you closely know on a personal level (friends and family), you can expect a quarter of them to respond. Regardless, if your organization has the resources and can afford it, conduct a follow-up calling campaign to boost your results.

Other than a Calling Campaign, What Else Can Trigger Better Results?
List segmentation and personalized appeals. Identify the groups that your constituents naturally fall into, such as members, loyal donors, new prospects, alumni, volunteers, patients, and employees. Create appeals specifically for each. Spend time tailoring your message so that it speaks directly to their needs and preferences. Check out some of Blackbaud's white papers to find out how to ask your patients or employees for money.

How Can I Incorporate the Web into My Appeals?
Including your organization’s website address is a great way to offer your constituents a convenient way to donate or find out more about your organization. But don’t use your website as the only method for donors to give money. Too often, donors get distracted and forget to take that important step! As I mentioned in the eNewsletter, always include a remittance envelope.

A better question would be, “How can I incorporate my appeals into my web marketing?” Use everything from your eNewsletters, email signatures, Facebook® page, Twitter® updates, and other social media to promote your donation page. To find out more about the subject of online marketing and fundraising, check out the NetWits blog.

What Part of My Letter Will Get Read The Most?
Research shows that besides a headline, the portion of a letter that gets read the most is the postscript! Make sure to take the time to write a postscript, and make sure to write it as if you know your recipient personally. I would recommend re-stating your one-sentence takeaway in a creative call-to-action.

Do you have any burning questions about appeal letters that you would like anwered? Did you find the tips for writing appeal letters helpful? Do you have any tips of your own that you would like to share?

Chat Success Story - November

Douglas Clinton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:07:00 GMT

It's time for another Chat Support Success Story! If you haven't used Chat Support already, it's a new way to contact support that is currently available to organizations who use The Raiser's Edge, Target Analytics, P!N, and Data Enrichment Services. If you use one of these products, you can access Chat Support by going to case central and clicking Chat Online. Chat works a lot like AOL Instant Messenger or Microsoft Office Communicator; it allows you to communicate with an analyst in real time.

Making two software programs play nice with each other isn't always easy. This week, a user had to replace a hard drive on a workstation running The Raiser's Edge. In the process, he installed Office 2007. When he logged into The Raiser's Edge, he got an error message that Office Web Components needed to be installed. After researching the issue, the user found that Office 2007 does not have a Web Components feature. The user tried to install the Office 2003 Web Components, but this did not resolve the issue. In need of a quick resolution, he turned to Chat Support.

The user was immediately connected with a Raiser's Edge analyst, who was able to diagnose the issue based on the information he provided when he initiated the chat session. The analyst told him that issue could be resolved by installing the Microsoft Office XP Web components. The user had come across this over the course of his research, but had assumed Office 2003 would be sufficient. Thanks to chat support, the issue was clarified speedily and the user was able to move forward.

To initiate a chat session, click Chat Online on case central and enter your name, organization name, and question. An analyst will type a response that displays on that web page, and you and the analyst will continue the text chat session until either your question has been answered or you feel a phone conversation would be more productive.

Writing Appeal Letters that Inspire Action

Lindsey Salmony — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Appeal letters are considered a crucial aspect of any nonprofit’s fundraising plan. The Internet has certainly changed the way organizations raise money, but experts still say that direct mail is here to stay. It’s the end of the year, which means that Americans will receive an onslaught of appeals. And that’s okay — after all, not everyone is passionate about the same cause. Still, all these factors contribute to stiff competition for donor dollars, which should motivate you to take every necessary step to get your appeals in tip-top shape.

Before You Pick Up Your Pen: Creating a Plan

Successful writing begins with a good plan. Make sure you know the short answer to WHY you’re writing an appeal letter — your letter’s content will be better off because of it.

Of course, your primary answer for why you are writing to your constituents should be, “Because I want them to respond.” So, what inspires and motivates people to respond?

Research shows that donors give because they feel connected to an organization’s vision and mission, they want to help others, or they want to make a difference in their communities by giving back. But if you’re sending appeals to new prospects who don’t know much about your organization, you can’t depend on these factors to motivate them to give. That’s why it’s important to treat your appeal like it’s any other piece of direct mail, which needs to be especially enticing to get a response.

Direct marketing professionals say that the top motivating factors that get people to take action are guilt, fear, exclusivity, greed, and anger. But how can you weave these motivations into your letter and ensure that they apply appropriately? Here are a few tips:

Make sure to give readers the opportunity to feel an emotional connection so they are compelled to help. (Motivating factor: guilt)
Write in a way that makes the reader feel singled out. (Motivating factor: guilt)
Illustrate the consequences of NOT contributing to your cause. (Motivating factor: fear)
Ensure that the tone of your letter is friendly and engaging so readers feel like they know you. (Motivating factor: exclusivity)
Mention the recognition they’ll get. (Motivating factor: exclusivity & greed)
Give them something tangible in return. (Motivating factor: greed)

When you set out to apply any of these techniques, make sure not to go overboard. While these emotions can inspire action, they can also serve to alienate your readers if they seem too threatening. Americans need positive messages, especially today.

For example, if your organization’s mission revolves around serving food to the needy, a sentence like, “Without your help, 800 citizens in this area will go hungry in 2010” sounds dire and threatening. Consider mentioning your organization’s successes and re-write as, “In 2009, our organization distributed 12,000 fresh meals to people in need. For many of these disadvantaged citizens, it meant they wouldn’t have to choose between paying their heating bills and purchasing food to fill their stomachs. With your help, we hope to double the number of meals we distribute in 2010.”

Not only is the re-written message stronger because it’s more positive, but it also paints a better picture of the need. Blandly reciting facts and figures (“800 citizens will go hungry”) doesn’t truly illustrate the problem your organization is trying to remedy. When you tell a story, even a short one, (in this case, we told a story about how hungry people sometimes have to choose between paying bills and purchasing food) the reader will be able to better identify with the situation and make an emotional connection.

Before you begin writing your letter, gather testimonials from the people you serve. You can also come up with a tangible story by thinking about how your organization’s services impact the community and ask yourself, “But what does that really mean?”

Putting Ink to Paper: Tips for Writing Effectively

A first impression can make or break your letter. Your first paragraph should include motivational language (as mentioned above) as well as the one thing you want your reader to remember. Writers call this the “one-sentence takeaway,” or the single most important thing that needs to be communicated. Think of it as the only sentence your supporters will read before making the decision of whether or not to throw your letter in the trash. Make sure your one-sentence takeaway is clearly written and stated in the beginning of the letter.

Make sure to avoid using the passive voice and write to your supporters as if you are having a one-on-one conversation. Use action verbs, avoid lengthy words and sentences, and use the words “I” and “you.” These are easy ways to ensure your readers will make a connection with you.

Be explicit in your “ask.” Don’t hope that readers will understand what you’re asking for. Make it clear, and repeat it as often as you can. For example, write, “By making a tax-deductible donation, you can help…” and then repeat with a variation like, “Join this important cause by making a one-time or recurring donation.”

Always mention that there is a tax benefit to donating to your cause. For many donors, this is one of the most motivating factors.

Beyond the Letter: Other Important Elements

The content of your letter is extremely important. But not as important as your mailing list and the timing of your appeal. These elements should be carefully considered while you are making plans. Other important factors include the appearance of the envelope, and whether or not your letter offers a tangible reward. Letters that are part of a campaign in which individual donations are matched by another donor are highly successful.

Many organizations struggle with the decision of whether or not to include a “teaser” on the outside envelope. While a teaser can offer incentive for opening the envelope, some savvy constituents might see through it and consider it a marketing ploy. One way to settle the dispute would be to use a direct mail service that can print text that appears hand-written.

Last, and most importantly, make it easy to donate. If you leave out that critical step, you might never get a response, even if you’ve gotten your constituents to open your letter, read the contents thoroughly, and make the decision to respond. Include a remittance envelope so that when your constituents decide to donate, they can do it right away before they forget.

Want more tips for writing fundraising letters? Check out the post Effective Appeal Letters — Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, which explains which portion of a letter recipients read the most — it will surprise you!

Accounts Payable Roundtable Roundup

Jennifer Maroney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:03:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard, our first Accounts Payable End-of-Year Support Roundtable was a great success. If you missed it, make sure you register for one of our future sessions or check out the recording and PowerPoint from our last session. Here are some of the excellent questions your fellow AP users asked:

What are the requirements for filing electronically?
- Typically you are required to e-File if you are filing more than 250 returns; however, each state has specific guidelines so we recommend checking your state's website.
Can we use the pre-printed 1096 form sent by the IRS?
- You can use the forms sent to you, but we cannot guarantee that they will be aligned properly because each manufacturer prints the form slightly different on each page. We only guarantee the alignment of forms purchased from Blackbaud Forms.
How do you know how many 1099s will print before you actually print the forms?
- You can either use the Vendor Activity Report or preview your forms prior to printing.
How does FE handle the Royalties box on the 1099?
- FE is configured to handle and report based on the different limits of each box.
If you have multiple payer tax ID's sharing a database, how do you segregate the 1099s when printing?
- You will need to create two queries with the 1099 activity for each tax ID. Then print your 1099s in two batches using the query as a filter. Make sure you change the tax ID defined in between printings.
Should the query to determine 1099 amounts be filtered by invoice date or payment date?
- Payment date.
Why can't you adjust 1099 amounts on an invoice?
- The distribution is locked down once the invoice is paid.
When you process a 1099 adjustment, why isn't it saved permanently?
- You are able to make changes to adjustments so that in the future, if a mistake is found, you have the ability to delete or modify an existing adjustment.
Is there a global change for vendors that were mistakenly brought over as 1099 vendors and now have amounts when they shouldn't?
- While there is no global change for this, you can create a query of 1099 vendors and easily open each vendor from the Results tab to make the necessary changes.
Where is this link to the 1099 wizard located in the software?
- Beginning in version 7.82, the link can be found in the Help file which can be accessed either by pressing F1 or clicking the How do I adjust Vendor 1099 box amounts in Mail, Forms.
How do you set permissions for 1099 processing?
- Give users rights to Mail and 1099s in the Personal Information Shared Component.
Are there any plans to incorporate 1099R info into Blackbaud?
- This has been filed as a suggestion and may be included in a future version of FE.
How do you export forms to file through the IRS FIRE site?
- When printing forms, you have the option to create a magnetic media file which can be uploaded using the IRS FIRE site.

SQL Queries for Patron Edge, Part III

Nicholai Burton — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:08:00 GMT

This is my final entry in the series on SQL queries for Patron Edge. Today let’s take a look at the access control tables, so we can do some cool stuff with barcode scanning results:

select *
from Barcodes_Log
inner join Barcodes on Barcodes.brtSourceCode = Barcodes_Log.brtlCrossRefID and Barcodes.brtSourceTable = 2
inner join Barcodes_Scanners on Barcodes_Scanners.brtscCode = Barcodes_Log.brtlScannerID
inner join SubsStaticReport on SubsStaticReport.ssrSubsProgNum = Barcodes.brtSourceCode

Scanning tables are pretty complex, so let’s break down some of the fields:

brtlCrossRefID – Corresponds to Barcodes.brtSourceCode
brtlScanningResult – Corresponds to the lookup table Barcodes_ResultMessages
brtSourceCode – Corresponds to ReportStatic.rpsTickCode for tickets, SubsStaticReport.ssrSubsProgNum for membership cards and series
brtSourceTable – 1 for ticket, 2 for membership, 3 for series ticket, 4 for series event ticket
brtEntityType – only used for tickets, 1 for Show, 2 for Event
brtEntityCode – Corresponds to Shows.shCode or Events.evCode, based on the brtEntityType
brtStatus – 0 for active barcodes, 9 for canceled/reprinted

Now you can report on barcode scanning to do things like plan staffing at entrances, figure out traffic flow through your venue, etc. How are you using scanning data? Leave a note in the comments.

News You Can Use: Update on RE 7.91's Inactivity feature (GREAT NEWS!!)

Laurel Kenerson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:57:00 GMT

In Raiser's Edge 7.91, an inactivity feature was added as part of the PCI DSS requirements. In version 7.91.5056, which is being released today, this feature has been made OPTIONAL for all non-Supervisor users.

A Supervisor user is any user who meets any of the following criteria:

Is logged into RE as Supervisor
Has Supervisor rights
Has rights to Admin > Security

Check out the new look of this feature, and how it can be made optional when your organization updates to 7.91.5056:

For more information, please visit BB700189 in our Knowledgebase.

Blackbaud’s 2009 Conference for Nonprofits - Day 4

Steve MacLaughlin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:04:00 GMT

This is the final day of Blackbaud's 2009 Conference for Nonprofits and there's a big focus on Internet topics today.

This morning I am doing a session called "The Future of Blackbaud’s Internet Solutions" which will be full of surprises about some great new things we're working on. And then the online focused content kicks into high gear!

Blackbaud added an extra set of Internet related sessions on today's agenda. Blackbaud's Internet Afternoon is an exclusive networking and training opportunity for our Blackbaud Sphere and Blackbaud NetCommunity customers. There's was no extra cost for these sessions for conference attendees.

I'm doing the keynote presentation as part of the afternoon Internet sessions. I'll be covering some of the major trends in online fundraising that are changing how nonprofits engage with supporters.

Today's Live Sessions:
Can't attend the conference? Watch these sessions live online:
12:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET, Keynote Session, presented by Steve MacLaughlin
1:30 to 2:45 p.m. ET, Google Analytics® and Search Engine Optimization, presented by Bo Crader and Chris Tuttle
3:15 to 4:45 p.m. ET, Launching the Space Shuttle: Practical Advice to Ensure a Smooth Launch of Your Website, presented by Raheel Gauba

Follow the conference on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bbcon and by using the hash tag #bbcon.
Other Links: Conference Sessions | Special Internet Sessions | Live Streaming Sessions

11/18 Forums Roundup

Douglas Clinton — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Here are last week's most popular Forums posts as well as unanswered posts:

Most Popular Topics:

Unanswered Posts:

50 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits

Chad Norman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:48:00 GMT

During Blackbaud's 2009 Conference for Nonprofits, Melanie Mathos and I lead a two-part social media workshop. Part I of this pairing was a new session we developed called 50 Social Media Tactics Nonprofits Use to Meet Their Mission. It was a real blast delivering this content, and people seemed to react well to it.

The idea behind the session was to provide tactics and tools nonprofits can use to meet their social media objectives. The presentation is full of examples that can easily (and sometimes not so easily) be implemented once you have a social media plan. I've been to so many sessions in the last couple years that focus on high level social media strategy, discuss why these networks are important, or cover how organizations can begin a social media program. 50 Social Media Tactics assumes you already have a plan, and are simply looking for tactics to plug into that plan that can help meet its objectives.

Below is the Slideshare of our presentation...I hope you're find it useful. What other tactics does your organization use? What important tactics are missing from our list? What social media tactic have you used sucsessfully? Let me know in the comments.

Ethics in Northern Indiana

Jay Love — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:00 GMT

Last Thursday was the celebration of National Philanthropy Day in beautiful Fort Wayne Indiana. I say that because it was truly a warm sunny day for so late in the year in Indiana's second largest city. Perhaps that helped draw nearly 140 fundraisers together to celebrate the best and brightest in Philanthropy. From students to fundraisers to philanthropists, the stories of their accomplishments were outstanding, if not truly heartwarming!

I was delighted to be part of this celebration in several ways. First, Blackbaud provided sponsorship by being an exhibitor at the event. Secondly, I was honored to address the "Master's Track" of senior fundraisers with a presentation on Ethics. Just as I had figured, my presentation to such senior professionals quickly turned into a group discussion. This was especially true with regards to the four case studies I presented. Each case study was adapted from those provided by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Here is a link to the section of the web site where the Code of Ethics guidelines are found here.

What truly separates the fundraising profession from many others is not only the Code of Ethics, but the ability to enforce them via a specified appeal and hearing process. Being involved with several of those hearings as part of the AFP Ethics committee did allow me to help bring the case studies to life. Of course, very little prompting was required to bring the thoughts and opinions of the senior group to the forefront.

Please find below the case studies we discussed. As you glance through them, do you think you know the proper and ethical answer or answers to each one? If not, please refer to the link above for the specific guidelines. No matter what, I think you will enjoy the scenarios. Perhaps many of you will be better equipped to prevent them with proper policies at your organization after you review them. Here you go:

December Webinar: Making the Most of Your eSupport Resources

Sarah McBride — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:46:00 GMT

On Tuesday, December 8, we'll host a complimentary support roundtable webinar to discuss how you can make the most of your resources on our award-winning support website. We hope you can join us from 2-3 p.m. ET to learn more about Knowledgebase, forums, Case Central, newsletters, and blogs.

There will also be time for you to participate in a live question-and-answer session about our website. To top it off, you will receive a 20% off coupon for Blackbaud Forms as a thank you for attending.

You can now register online, and we encourage you to let us know if there are specific topics or questions you'd like us to cover by emailing supportroundtables@blackbaud.com. We're looking forward to it!

Special Report: 10 Ways to Make Your Website Fundraising Friendly

Raheel Gauba — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:43:00 GMT

Fundraising Success is a prominent fundraising magazine for nonprofits that provides invaluable information to professionals working in the nonprofit space. I was fortunate enough to contribute to their November 2009 issue with an article that talks about ways to get the maximum return on investment for your website in helping your organization raise more funds online.

The article goes into a quick analysis of how online activities for nonprofit organizations fall into one of three segments:

No online presence
Limited online presence
Dynamic online presence

And then explores eleven (yes, I know... the 11th one is a bonus!) areas that will help your organization become more successful with online fundraising:

Consistent online branding
Information architecture and navigation
Call to actions
Design and user interface
Audience Centric Design
Search engine optimization
Content management
Effective email communication
Active participation
Integration with system of record
(Bonus) Make it interactive!

Check out the complete article in all its glory is here on FundraisingSuccessMag.com.

Do you have advice about how websites can be made more fundraising friendly? Share your comments with us!

Blackbaud’s 2009 Conference for Nonprofits - Day 3

Steve MacLaughlin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:04:00 GMT

This is the third day of Blackbaud's 2009 Conference for Nonprofits here in Charleston, South Carolina.Yesterday was pretty action packed and the tweetup event was a lot of fun.

The morning begins with keynote speaker Derreck Kayongo, a former Kenyan refugee who fled political despotism in Uganda, Derreck will share how he chose an uncommon path on life’s journey — a path that has led him to his current work of changing the world. Derreck will share his story and his personal mission in a context that will reenergize attendees and challenge them to sharpen their focus as they continue on their personal journeys.

I'm doing two sessions today. The first one is "Online Metrics Demystified: Understanding Your Hits, Clicks, and Errors" where I'll be covering metrics for the web, email, online fundraising, and social media, industry benchmarks and trends in online metrics, and how to pull them all together to measure your online success. The second session is with Blackbaud product manager Ryan Frere and is called "Leveraging Blackbaud Enterprise CRM for Strategic Online Fundraising." In this session, we will review the native internet capabilities within BBEC and how customers can successfully leverage these features and functionality on the Infinity platform

Today's Live Sessions:
Can't attend the conference? Watch these sessions live online:
9:00 – 10:30 a.m. ET, Keynote Session, featuring Derreck Kayongo
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET, Future-Proof: Making Viable Plans in Uncertain Times, presented by Dean Feener
3:45 – 5:00 p.m. ET, DIY (Do It Yourself): Is Your Fundraising Strategy in Need of Makeover? Presented by Richard McPherson

Follow the conference on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bbcon and by using the hash tag #bbcon.
Other Links: Conference Sessions | Special Internet Sessions | Live Streaming Sessions

Itty Bitty Timesavers

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Hey blog readers! I found a great post on The Book Bag that I wanted to share with you. If you've liked The Ledger time savers you must check out the Itty Bitty Timesavers post. It lists some great tips and tricks to save you a few seconds here and there. Remember, a few seconds saved on each task quickly adds up to extra hours and who can't use more hours in their day ?

Talk to you soon!

Blackbaud’s 2009 Conference for Nonprofits - Day 2

Steve MacLaughlin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:50:00 GMT

Today Blackbaud's 2009 Conference for Nonprofits really swings into high gear after yesterday's kickoff events. This is going to be a very busy day with lots of sessions, meetings, and events on the agenda.

Today's Live Sessions:
Can't attend the conference? Watch these sessions live online:
8:30 – 9:15 a.m. ET, General Session with Blackbaud CEO Marc Chardon
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. ET, Skill Building: Ethics Under Fire, presented by Jay Love, Joy Simpson, and Paul Clolery
3:45 – 5:00 p.m. ET, The Tough Questions We Aren’t Asking Ourselves, presented by Holly Ross (NTEN)

Today's Special Event:
There will be a #bbcon Tweetup at 5pm to 7pm tonight. Get more details and tell your friends.

Follow the conference on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bbcon and by using the hash tag #bbcon.
Other Links: Conference Sessions | Special Internet Sessions | Live Streaming Sessions

How to create a strong eNewsletter

Naomi Hamilton — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:10:00 GMT

I originally started writing this post as a quick comparison of the effectiveness of eNewsletters and eDMs. What I have produced is a quick guide for creating an engaging and enticing eNewsletter however. I will look at how you can use eDMs to enhance your communications strategy in my next post.

Before you sit down to either start to plan or enhance your eNewsletter, take the time to think through the following questions. Too often, Nonprofit eNewsletters end up being carbon copies of one another, and while there is nothing wrong with this, this type of newsletter will not help your organisation stand out for the right reasons.

1. Why are you putting an eNewsletter together? What have you got to say that's need-to-know information?

2. What information can you offer that is unique and critical to your audience?

3. What are you saying that's different to the other organisations that work in your space? Why should your audience open your eNewsletter first, or make it the only eNewsletter they open from a flooded inbox?

If you start by asking these 3 questions, you will be examining the essential elements for the creation and continuation of an eNewsletter that stands out of the pack and is exciting.

Don't be afraid to separate out your eNewsletters if you have a diverse audience you are trying to reach. You may wish to allow users to subscribe to a monthly eNewsletter, and to produce separate news blasts that are produced as soon as news breaks within your organisation for example. Creating options allows your audience to engage with you on their terms, and allows you to deliver the information that's relevant (as well as the information that's likely to create conversions on your web site.)

Finally, here is a list of email basics that you should consider when putting your eNewsletter together:

Ensure your subject line is 50 characters or less - any longer and your subscribers won't be able to read the whole title as soon as it hits their inbox and it will lose it's impact.
Ensure your organisation's name is in the 'from' line - this saves you valuable subject line space and makes your eNewsletter look legitimate.
Ensure that your eNewsletter as a whole is no more than 250-300 characters. This stops your readers having to scroll down to read your content and getting put off.
Never use more than one paragraph to discuss a topic - link through to an optimised landing page with the relevant content if you have more information than this.
Avoid using too many images on the email itself, or making the eNewsletter one big image, as up to 60% of your recipients will have their images disabled when your eNewsletter arrives in their inbox.
Write in a conversational tone where appropriate - email and eNewsletters are a relatively informal medium. Aim to engage and excite interest in you, your cause and your work at every step of the way!
Think about including content that's not just your own - draw your audience's attention to relevant information that may not be produced by your organisation. Try to make your organisation the resource that your audiences turn to when they're looking for information on a particular subject - don't be ashamed to aggregate information and to turn your newsletter into a resource that promotes more than just your brand. This will ensure that your audience turns to you and your web site on a daily basis, rather than just when they remember to make a donation or want your contact details.

This is by no means an exhaustive list however - do you have anything that you can add to this?

Blackbaud’s 2009 Conference for Nonprofits - Day 1

Steve MacLaughlin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Today is the start of Blackbaud's 2009 Conference for Nonprofits in Charleston, South Carolina. This is the 10th year of the conference and every year it just gets better and better.

There are a lot of pre-conference workshops going on today. I'm attending the Blackbus.org User Group meeting this afternoon. I have put together a bunch of things for show and tell. Plus, I know they will probably have a lot of questions about our Internet solutions.

The welcome reception starts at 6pm tonight. Should be a good start to a great week of sessions and meeting with clients from across the nonprofit sector

Follow the conference on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bbcon and by using the hash tag #bbcon.
Other Links: Conference Sessions | Special Internet Sessions | Live Streaming Session

Phasing Out Support For Internet Explorer 6 With Blackbaud NetCommunity

Matt Adams — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:44:00 GMT

Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) was released by Microsoft on August 27, 2001 and has been the most widely used web browser during its reign. At the height of its popularity in 2002 and 2003, it reached a market share close to 90%, and maintained that status until late 2007 at which time the release of IE7 and Mozilla Firefox cut the market share in half.

Security issues, outdated support for CSS version 2, no support for PNG image transparency, and a steady decline in use have led some large sites to end support for IE6. IE6 utilizes a rendering engine which is now obsolete and is no longer supported by Microsoft, so no additional enhancements are expected for that version of the browser.

For these reasons, Blackbaud will not be testing or optimizing Blackbaud NetCommunity and Sphere compatibility with IE6. The outdated support for CSS version 2 is especially problematic with the best practices of using CSS-based menus in Blackbaud NetCommunity. Support for IE6 ended with Blackbaud NetCommunity version 5.6 in patch 13 and will end for version 6.10 in patch 8. When visiting the home page of a Blackbaud NetCommunity site while using IE6, the following message will be displayed:

“Your Internet browser may not be fully compatible with this site. Some features may work improperly. To use these features, we recommend you upgrade your web browser”

The error will not display in Internet Explorer versions 7 & 8, or in any other supported browser.

Removing IE6 as a supported browser enables our developers to incorporate new software enhancements which were not possible in IE6. This, in turn, will allow you to develop a site that will satisfy the needs of your constituents in the future.

If you have any questions, please let us know by leaving a comment below or you can create a case with Support and we’ll be glad to help.

National Distance Learning Week

Diana Himes — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:35:00 GMT

Since last week, November 9 - 13, was National Distance Learning week, I thought it appropriate to write a post dedicated to distance learning. The United States Distance Learning Association sponsored this week "to promote and celebrate the tremendous growth and accomplishments occurring today in Distance Learning programs offered by schools, businesses, and governmental departments." Here are some interesting things about distance learning: Distance Learning is better for the environment...(read more)

SQL Queries for Patron Edge, Part II

Nicholai Burton — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:19:00 GMT

Continuing on yesterday’s theme, here are a few more tables and joins to do with what you will. We’ll start with the SubsStaticReport table this time, which is a data warehouse table that contains all of your subscriptions and memberships.

select *
from SubsStaticReport
inner join Clients on Clients.cltCode = ssrSubsNum
inner join StatusType on StatusType.stsStatus = ssrRenewalStatus

ssrSubsNum - Corresponds to Clients.cltCode
ssrCurrentStatus and ssrRenewalStatus – Correspond to the StatusType lookup table
ssrLastTransact – for series/memberships that are edited or canceled, this field points to ssrTransactNum of the original series/membership

Now let’s add on commissions and discounts:

select *
from SubsStaticReport
inner join Clients on Clients.cltCode = ssrSubsNum
inner join StatusType on StatusType.stsStatus = ssrRenewalStatus
inner join CalculatedCommission on CalculatedCommission.clcTicketNum = rpsTickCode and clcType = 4

You can refer to SQL Queries for Patron Edge, Part I to see what all the commission fields mean. Leave a comment below with your questions!